


Broken Promises

by CelticLady



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: 73rd Hunger Games, 74th Hunger Games, 75th Hunger Games, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Hunger Games Setting, Angst, Conflict, Drama, Drama & Romance, F/M, Forbidden Love, Hunger Games, Hunger Games Victor Peeta Mellark, Inspired by The Hunger Games, Romance, Sacrifice, Secret Relationship, Secrets, Unrequited Love, everlark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2020-09-27 12:11:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20407552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelticLady/pseuds/CelticLady
Summary: AU: When Katniss Everdeen volunteers herself as tribute for her sister Prim, she expects Gale Hawthorne to keep his promise to protect her family. All that goes asunder when his brother's name is pulled and he volunteers himself as well. He would later confess his love for her as a means to help their position in the game, but it has an unintended and  disastrous effect. To complicate matters, Katniss starts to gravitate towards their mentor, former victor Peeta Mellark. Chaos ensues.Rated for language and mild sexual content.An intense but quick read.Note: I'm not on Tumblr, so this is the only place you'll find this story.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I obviously do not own the Hunger Games or any of its characters. This is purely fan-fiction.

She couldn’t help it. She saw only red as she scowled at him from across the food-laden table as the vibration of the train moved imperceptibly through her being. If looks could kill, well, he would’ve keeled over in an instant. And she envisioned his collapse in great dramatic detail.

A hand reached out in front of her with words that simply did not register. Katniss Everdeen was too focused on her emotions that anything spoken fell on deaf ears. The arm movement in front of her grew more frantic until she finally was broken from her spell. She barked a quick “stop it” and pulled her arms irritably into herself. She was not interested in food, not interested in the empty plate set before her, nor was she interested in the flashily-costumed woman who was trying to gain her attention nor the two male victors that sat at the table on that train to hell.

She was especially not interested in seeing him sitting there, the apology pleading adamantly through his gray eyes. She twisted her lips and looked down into her lap, seething.

Gale Hawthorne was a prick.

How could he have done this?

When she volunteered for Prim, she didn’t realize that she would set a precedent. When they would later call Gale’s brother, he was quick to mimic her behavior. He lumbered onto that stage and stood in front of District 12 with an overly cheerful Effie Trinket exclaiming that they had an all-time first from their dank corner of the world.

With them both now being reaped (or rather volunteered) into the 74th Annual Hunger Games, the odds were not in their families’ favor now. And, since he volunteered after her, it was all Gale’s fault. Yeah, she knew it was his brother. He did it for him. Family. But they had made promises. He promised her that he would take care of Prim and her mother if she was pulled into the games.

And he broke that damned promise.

“Manners,” Effie chided, this time snapping her fingers in front of Katniss’s face, effectively pulling her out of her thoughts this time.

Her eyes tore away from Gale.

“That’s better,” Effie smiled faintly. “We have a lot of ground to cover before we get to the Capitol. I’m sure Haymitch and Peeta here would like to give you all some time too, to coach and share all their wonderful, wonderful experiences.”

The wigged woman’s voice made her cringe.

Experiences huh, Katniss thought to herself. She rolled her eyes, looking briefly in the direction of the drunkard and the baker’s boy.

Haymitch Abernathy had a reputation that was not flattering and seeing him downing a bottle did not aid in that image in the slightest. He was shaggy-haired, dressed in Capitol clothes though there was a sense of untidiness too. He looked as interested as Katniss felt. He knew what she knew; that they were all doomed. What would she gain from talking with him?

She could only imagine what his life was like, year after year tending to tributes that would just end up dying.

Peeta Mellark, on the other hand, was the exception. He actually won the games last year by some crazy miracle. He appeared calm and collected, his posture not betraying anything other than casualness. He was reclining back in the seat a couple spaces from Gale, his blue eyes drifting to Katniss for a second before directing his focus on an orange on the table. His unprecedented victory had gained tremendous coverage. The baker’s boy from District 12 had turned into the Capitol’s ‘heart-throb.’

And the young man dressed the part. He was in a crisp, fitted gray outfit and had perfectly arranged ashy blonde hair. There was even a button left undone at the top of his shirt. He was certainly different than the boy that had tossed bread to her those many years ago. He probably didn’t even remember her. He was so famous and all, she thought sarcastically to herself. Life had a way of changing people and, in Panem, life was unfortunately full of hardship and loss. Not everyone could be a precious victor.

It was at this point that Gale spoke up again. “How do we win this thing?”

Katniss sighed audibly and laughed a little sardonically. Gale may have been much taller than her, may have been two years older than her, may have garnered a lot of female attention back at the Seam. And, for all their time together, as platonic as it was and how it was born out of necessity because their families needed the benefits from the game they would bring in, she didn't realize how utterly fucking stupid he was.

“Really, Gale? We. We? Haven’t you been paying attention? There can only be one victor. We don’t win anything,” Katniss spat, bolting up.

How could he be so fucking dumb after everything they had discussed, after everything they had been through? She could have protected his brother. She could have make sure he made it out alive. They could have taken care of her family. Now, there was no one to take care of those left behind. These damn games made it so they were faced with impossible choices. It was depressing.

Haymitch remained seated though his eyebrows rose. Peeta on the other hand stood and started to say something but stopped just as Effie intervened.

“It’s been a long day. Perhaps we should rest and then we can chat later. When we’re refreshed. Come on dear.”

As Katniss was led away, she ignored Effie’s heated whispers as she looked over her shoulder at her hunting partner. Gale looked like a deer. For a moment she felt sorry for him, but the rage inside her wouldn’t allow her to be deterred so easily. The last thing she heard as she rounded the corner was Haymitch chortling obnoxiously.

***

The rooftop was a place where she could exist, just breathe, without having Gale or anyone else interfering with her thoughts or invading her space. Having time alone at this place was hard to come by.

It was a trying day to say the least.

Dressed in horrible get-ups, the various tributes from all the districts had individualized time with Caesar Flickerman, the Master of Ceremonies, where they were all on display for the Capitol. Katniss was dressed in a red grown and spun around for the crowd. She felt like a complete airhead.

But Gale, well, he took the cake.

If things weren’t bad enough, he did the unthinkable.

_“So, you volunteered too. For your brother.” Caesar grinned but the look on Gale’s face implied there was something else. His dark hair was combed back and was dressed in the Capitol’s best. His presence had a few ladies in the audience swooning._

_“Yes, but…”_

_Gale had started, piquing the interest of the blue-haired host._

_“But…oh-there’s more?” the boisterous host egged him on with a loud laugh, drawing in the audience._

_“Yeah. Well, sort of.”_

_“Do tell!”_

_“I’m not sure if I should.”_

_“Why not?”_

_“Because, well. It’s… it’s complicated,” Gale muttered, rubbing his chin and averting his sparking gray eyes._

_“Don’t be coy,” encouraged Caesar. “We’re all friends here. Share!"_

_Katniss was backstage watching. Effie was close, taking it all in. Peeta and Haymitch were lurking in the background muttering stuff. Katniss turned ever so slightly to see the exchange between their two mentors but was unable to hear what they were saying. That’s when she felt Effie’s hand on her shoulder. The touch startled her._

_“Oh my dear girl,” Effie exclaimed, her eyes expressive and so full of excitement, her voice nearly shrieking, “…that’s why he did it. That’s why he volunteered.”_

_“Yeah, because of his broth…” Katniss started, her eyes dragged away from Effie as she heard Gale’s voice._

_“…I couldn’t let her go,” he said. His face loomed on the screen, seriousness and heartache etched deeply across his features. The audience immediately went crazy. _

_Effie clasped her hands and sighed, her countenance full of enchantment as she gazed at Katniss adoringly._

_What the fuck just happened?_

_Haymitch later explained, while she had Gale angrily pinned against the wall, that it worked in her favor. That Gale had made her desirable and it added to their overall story. They were two volunteers from District 12. They were friends on the cusp of love. It was love for both his brother and Katniss that motivated Gale to step up at the reaping._

_That didn’t make any fucking sense. How did that help her? There could only be one victor and this move actually made him more interesting to the public._

_The audience ate it up though and Katniss felt sick._

And that’s what this made this roof so damned desirable. Gale may have made her supposedly desirable for the cameras and the public, but she had no yearning to see him right now. This was all just getting worse and worse. The only thing she could focus on was Prim, and making sure that she made it out alive for her. But, that seemed to be a fool’s errand. What chance did someone from 12 have to make it out of this alive? Fuck the bullshit for the cameras.

“You know, you can make it turn in your favor.”

A voice caused her to look back. Peeta walked slowly towards her, smelling like roses and dressed like he stepped right out of a Capitol magazine. There was an air of confidence about him, one that didn't necessarily exist in the boy she almost once knew.

She focused her sights back on the city below.

“I don’t think that’s possible.”

“Well, I did.”

He lowered himself to sit beside her. She examined his profile briefly before he spoke again.

“I was determined to not let them change me. I didn’t want to be just another pawn, a piece in their games.”

His openness baffled her. Katniss opened her mouth but stopped herself, looking away. Was this was him, offering an olive branch? She was more inclined to believe that everything he just said was a tactic to give the illusion that he was being open, as a mentor.

“I know what you’re thinking,” he laughed. “But, it’s impossible to be yourself 100% when you are faced with this, a situation beyond your control. What you do is find ways to maintain control of some elements…”

She could feel his blue eyes watching her, but she refused to turn and face him. He wasn’t the boy with the bread. Not really, not anymore. He was a victor who, along with Haymitch, coaxed Gale into saying all that fucked up stuff. She didn’t view this as machinations or strategy. No, she viewed it as sabotage. Her life and her sister’s life were on the line and they wanted to play this dumb game on top of it all.

She felt like a piece in their games.

“The only thing I’m certain of…,” he continued, gazing out at the city below, “…is that you have a chance. We can get some sponsors and…”

This caused her head to snap around. His eyes met hers as his words tapered off. They were warm, but were also seemingly hiding something.

“Just because you professed your fake infatuation for some dumb girl last year doesn’t mean that people are going to give a damn and do it again, to sponsor Gale or me,” Katniss snapped, clenching her teeth. Last year, Peeta had played the angle that he had a crush at home, but the crush supposedly didn’t know it. People were invested, they wanted to make sure he could make it home to her. But, after he won the games, he revealed that she had fallen in love with another. She didn’t want to be a guinea pig for his tired tactics, though. Love was shit. He may view them and tried and true maneuvers, but for Katniss all she could think of was Prim.

Even if it did work, the fact remained that there could only be one victor. And, it was messed up, because it felt like they were more in Gale’s corner than hers.

“In fact, I don’t see how this helps me at all! You are all working with Gale. I mean, that’s apparent. What the hell?”

Peeta was going to say something but sat there gaping a bit, his eyes filled with what appeared to be shock, maybe even hurt. Instead of defending himself, he stood up and started back towards the door. The smell of roses wafted to her nostrils, almost overwhelming her olfactory senses. Before he disappeared, he rotated slightly.

“You’ll get sponsors if you choke down some of that stubborn pride and listen for once, sweetheart.”

His voice was firm, almost dangerous. Her eyes grew wide. He continued. “You might not agree, but I’m… it’s your best shot if you want to see your sister again.”

He paused before spitting back another bitter bit.

“I’ve helped you before. Or, don’t you remember?”

She was rendered speechless as he made his exit.

***

But he was right.

By playing up the love angle, both Gale and Katniss won The Hunger Games. They got sponsors. They got much needed supplies. But, it wasn’t without its losses. It took some kisses that Gale seemed to be too interested in and a double-suicide threat before Seneca Crane backed off. After it all, when Gale and Katniss were once again with Caesar, they declared their love for each other for all of Panem.

Even President Snow came up to them afterwards, his eyes almost predatory. He had said that he looked forward to seeing their love flourish for years to come.

But any feeling that Katniss may have developed organically for Gale, had the games not happened, fell unceremoniously flat. Anything that could’ve been could now never be. He broke his promise. He had shown a lack of faith in her. She would've protected his brother and he would've... should've protected Prim. He made a mockery of their friendship in front of everyone in Panem. In all of this, he had made himself undesirable.

So, when they entered the train to head back for 12, he went in a for a kiss and she snubbed him. The look of hurt in his eyes was quite unmistakable.

“I’m sorry, Gale, I… I can’t.”

“What, it’s good for the cameras but not for me, here? Come on, Catnip, I thought that we…”

“I’m… I’m sorry Gale.”

She didn’t like hurting him, not really. They really had been through a lot. But he had hurt her. Really hurt her. And, she only kissed him so they could survive.

This fucked up trip was done and Katniss was beyond tired.

She charged passed him, catching Haymitch. The middle-aged mentor grabbed her arm and whispered into her ear, “…you know this train doesn’t stop. Ever. Snow will be watching. He will want to know that you love that boy…”

But it isn’t something that wanted to listen to. She was done pretending. She just wanted a break before they got back to 12.

Later that evening, when the train was quiet of activity, Katniss woke flailing and screaming.

Peeta rushed into her room.

“I’m… I’m sorry,” she said groggily. “Nightmares.”

“I get’em too,” he said.

He was about to turn to leave but Katniss stopped him, even if she was still a bit disorientated.

“Wait, will you stay with me? Just for a little bit.”

I need to clear my head, she thought. The young mentor seemed to consider it a little too long before replying with a soft, “always.” He moved carefully to the chair sitting beside her bed, dressed in satin pajamas. His blonde hair, normally carefully styled, was in a complete state of disarray. He almost seemed more youthful and innocent this way. This version of Peeta reminded her of the one she once almost knew.

Strip away all the pretty Capitol ribbons and bows, and what was left?

“I’m sorry if I woke you,” Katniss said as she brought in the blankets so they loosely cocooned her.

“It’s okay. I wasn’t sleeping anyway.”

She breathed in, trying to shake away the remnants of the nightmare.

“You were right. About the sponsors. I’m sorry that I was so resistant and angry and…”

He chuckled softly. “It’s no problem Katniss. That’s why I’m here. Why I’ll always be here.”

That final statement could be construed as defeat; his existence bound as a mentor for future tributes. Yet, his tone was gentle and almost intimate.

He had been there for her, truly. With the bread, before. And during the games? They had an encounter right before she was inserted into the arena. She was hyperventilating about Prim.

_“Who’s going to protect them, Peeta? Who? If I die…”_

_Tears spilled down her cheeks and he dared to come in close and rub them away lightly with his thumb. There was a firm urgency to his voice as his eyes locked onto hers._

_“If you die…” he started but paused. _ _He sighed and looked her pleadingly._

_“If you die… I’ll give them bread too, Katniss. I will make sure they are fine, I promise. But, you got it pull it together and please, please listen to me. I know you don’t like it but… You play that love story. You get those sponsors. And I promise you, you will be able to go home and see Prim yourself.”_

_His words stunned her._

_“Did you hear me, Katniss? You got this.”_

_His insistence. His belief. His vow. It awakened something in her._

_When she kissed Gale in the arena, she started to feel a warmth emanate from her stomach. But, it wasn’t for her old hunting partner. It was Peeta that she envisioned. She had no control over it. When she kissed Gale’s lips, she was really mentally kissing Peeta’s._

_And it felt forbidden._

And, as he was sitting there, and she didn’t know what to think about what she was feeling. All she knew was that he offered to help and protect her family.

“It’s no problem…”

His voice pulled her back to the present. His eyes shone blue in the dim light, and they were gentle and warm.

“You did it. You all really did look in love with him and…”

“But I’m not,” she felt like she needed to clip in. Peeta’s eyes showed disbelief in that. He cleared his throat and smiled weakly.

“Katniss, the life of a victor is another animal. Snow will want to know…,” he started but she shook her head wildly.

“And I told Haymitch that I don’t care.”

There was silence for a moment. It seemed like Peeta was weighing his words. He finally breathed loudly, choking a bit as he revealed them. “Being in love will keep you safe and pure.”

“Pure? You think I’m pure?”

He ignored the question.

“Snow likes to hold other games. With the victors I mean.”

She looked confused and he seemingly wasn’t sure how to quite continue. He seemed to make up his mind though, plunging forward with such earnest honesty.

“He… The citizens of the Capitol like to spend... ummm... _private _company with the victors. It may be different if you already have someone that you love and…”

“No, wait a minute, are you telling me that Snow, he...” Realization crossed her features.

His pained look said it all. Horror filled her face as the colored drained from it. She had heard stories. Rather, rumors, but… What did that mean about Peeta, Katniss thought. His silence was response enough.

“What about the girl? You know, the one you love? Can’t you… you know, just… just find her and convince her that...”

Peeta simply shook his head and looked away, unable to meet her eyes.

“It would be too dangerous for us.”

“Us…” the word hung in the air, staining Katniss’s tongue.

His eyes met hers and then something dawned on her. Or, rather, a thought crept into her brain.

The lingering looks. The subtle touches. The kindness. The hint of something more in Peeta's eyes.

The promise. The insistence.

The warmth in her stomach.

Her breath caught in her throat. Maybe... Maybe she was the girl. The dumb girl. A part of her wished it, yearned for it to be true, even if she didn’t readily recognize it herself in the moment. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I obviously don't own the Hunger Games or any of its characters. This is purely fan-fiction, pulling elements from both the book and movies.

Effie beamed proudly as she walked towards the table, her hands clasped together. Her wig was exceptionally voluminous, sparkling with flecks of what appeared to be mica and tiny flowers woven throughout. It was almost as large as the woman’s excitement.

But Katniss could not share in her enthusiasm. She tugged at the tips of her braid that tumbled over her shoulder as Effie continued, her face twisted in a scowl.

“This is so, so wonderful. You’re going to absolutely love it. You’ll have fabulous, fabulous clothing and…” she rattled on and Katniss internally groaned. While she did everything to try and get herself into a better mood, it just wasn’t happening.

The woman from the Capitol seemed to be in her element, though, completely proud of this moment and cherishing every waking second that she was in it.

The Victory Tour.

It was underway, nearly a year after her and Gale had to perform and assume the role of burgeoning lovers in the previous Hunger Games. This year was the Quarter Quell and she had adamantly hoped that the excitement that it promised would take away all the attention from them.

“Oh, but we’re going to be terribly busy. Stopping here, stopping there. So it’ll be important that we keep ourselves rested,” Effie exclaimed, her accent thick.

There was irony in that statement. The last couple of months had been a whirlwind and sleep never came easy.

Her and Gale had been swept to the Victors’ Village and it was quite the adjustment sharing close proximity. Their hunting excursions together had waned dramatically. Katniss always feared someone was watching them, so she was careful when she would go on solo trips and visit with Greasy Sae.

Gale took her rebuffs quite hard. He had become so angry that, at one point, he blasted at her in public, releasing all his pent-up frustrations.

“If I had volunteered as tribute first for… for my brother and then they called Prim, you can’t tell me you wouldn’t have stepped up, Katniss!” Gale had yelled, not caring that he had invited confused spectators to their spat. She had grunted, gave him a little peck on the cheek for show, before pulling him aside roughly, telling him under hushed and urgent tones that he needed to stop.

Internally, she had fumed.

Yeah, he was right. If the reaping were in reverse, she would have taken Prim’s place. But, the feeling of betrayal was so great and deep none of that mattered any more.

After that, he had avoided her for the most part.

Much to her chagrin, Peeta had also avoided her. She wanted to talk to him but he always found an excuse. Even if it was noble enough, if not outright dangerous, his covert ‘low-cost’ baking donations for people in the Seam proved to be quite the effective evasive strategy.

The man was a damn saint but his cold, distance and dismissive attitude left her feeling alone and abandoned. It was almost like they never had that evening on the train. She found herself thinking about it more and more, trying to solve the mystery. Who was the dumb girl? Maybe it was Madge? Delly? There were a few girls it could have been, honestly. Girls that he would chat with in school before the games changed him. He never chatted with her, not really, Katniss realized. However, if her games proved anything of his ability to craft reality, then it could have just been that: a story that provided him sponsors so he could survive.

After all, he didn’t have any female companionship, and that wasn’t from a lack of trying on their part. Many girls, young and older, circled him like sharks. They wanted to know if they were the girl and, as far as Katniss knew, he didn’t take anyone up on their offers.

She wondered if that was all it was, just a story. The same sort of story that allowed her and Gale to win. He didn’t reveal anything and why would he if it meant his survival, honestly? Still. He was elusive and it annoyed her greatly.

If only he would fucking talk to her.

Was the mentor just simply done with his victor when the cameras weren’t around?

Despite everything, they were now all on this train together, with Haymitch downing the liquor and Peeta and Gale remaining relatively silent.

“I trust that Victors’ Village has been just as nice?” Effie was doing her best, though, to get them engaged.

She was working with a tough crowd.

***

The tour proved to more ruthless than Katniss could ever imagine. They were slated to visit all the districts in just under two weeks, being thrusted in front of the public over and over again to give their speeches.

The travel, nightmares and worry had already drained her, so providing some semblance of love towards Gale to the masses to appease Snow and the public totally depleted her strength. They would hold hands and kiss as Peeta and Haymitch stood in the background, surveying the seas of people. But there had also been much disturbance; there was chaos and fighting in the districts. At one especially bad incident, a man in the crowd had whistled the call from their games, the one that Gale and Katniss had shared with Rue, and raised his hand symbolically as if to say “I’m with you.”

The Peacekeepers immediately flooded in, pushing the victors into the building and dragged the man onto the stage and shot him in the head. Katniss screamed as she caught a glimpse of blood and brain matter flying just as the doors closed. Haymitch grabbed her arm and ushered them all into the upper levels of a town building.

Katniss’s body was trembling, totally wracked with sobs and fear.

During the games, she hadn’t intended for her and Gale’s victory to be an act of rebellion. But, that’s how it was interpreted and Snow had threatened her before she boarded the train for the tour.

“Make them believe or your sister will be next.” He had warned, his eyes much like a snake’s. When Snow left and she felt it was safe enough, she immediately sought out Haymitch. Tears obscured her vision. She couldn’t talk to Gale and she couldn’t talk with Peeta. She had no one else to go to. Prim was safe at the moment, but were they living on borrowed time?

“Katniss, sweetheart, I told you before. Read the lines we feed you. It’s easy. Read them, act like you’re in love,” Haymitch instructed with intensity and concern. “Your job is to be a distraction, to be the story that allows them to escape from their real lives.”

Katniss caught Peeta’s blue eyes and he only nodded silently before crossing his arms and turning away.

Gale simply grunted and ran a hand over his face.

“It’s not an act, for me at least,” he muttered, looking absolutely miserable.

Overwhelmed, Katniss stormed away.

The rest of the tour was a blur.

Gale and Katniss performed like their lives depended on it. Gale’s actions stemmed from a more authentic place but Katniss was numb with fear. The words she delivered fell flat past her lips. They did not match her body language. Her face, stoic.

The crowds were not convinced and shouted, “tell us how you really feel!”

“You sound like you are reading from a drill manual,” Haymitch told her as the train hummed towards their final destination, the Capitol.

His assessment wasn’t wrong.

“Well, I am. Practically. I’m reading all the prompts, the cards… like you said,” Katniss balked, arms folded. Gale shifted uncomfortably next to her. They all knew how he felt but it was challenging for him to work off her distant performances.

“I’m open to any ideas,” he muttered, clasping his hands together as he leaned forward, forearms on his legs. “To make anything easier.”

“You all could get married,” came Peeta’s voice from out of the blue. He had been brooding off to the side. Even as he uttered the words, he appeared a little upset.

“That doesn’t help anything,” Haymitch replied, surprised and almost agitated by the suggestion.

“Yeah, well, it’ll send a message to Snow and it will give the districts the distraction they are looking for. The people will be so wrapped up in the wedding details that they won’t be able to focus on anything else. Well, at least until the Quell,” Peeta added.

The young blond victor dared to glance in Katniss’s direction and they held each other’s gaze for a few beats longer than they should have.

”It’s going to happen eventually so why not now, when we can use it,” Peeta continued, his voice faltering a little. 

“It’s quite the move, I’d give you that,” Haymitch said with a raise of his eyebrows.

Gale cleared his throat, causing Peeta’s eyes to finally break away from Katniss’s.

“Let’s do it then. Katniss?”

It was in that moment that Katniss wanted to lunge over at Peeta and throttle him. They met each other’s eyes again, blue locking onto gray. He just sat there seemingly all casual, emotionless, with all the visage and confidence of the calculating mentor. Planning a strategy. Haymitch looked like he was about to say something but it was Katniss who tore through the awkward silence first.

“Sure. If our mentors think it’s a good idea. They haven’t steered us wrong yet, have they?” her voice was a little louder than normal and tinged with anger.

Peeta locked his jaw and didn’t say a word.

“I guess we’re in it for the long haul, huh Catnip?”

Gale said almost too cheerfully. She immediately wanted to punch him in the fucking throat. Him and Peeta. Her look must’ve been something else because Haymitch chuckled a little nervously.

“Well, that’s the spirit. You two are listening after all. Now… I need a drink…”

Fuck, maybe she’d have one too she thought.

***

The celebration at the President’s Mansion was quite the affair.

People were everywhere, eating and dressed elaborately, in ways that Katniss had never experienced before. She felt like she was on another planet.

The air was filled with scents of food and chatter. People reached out to touch her, their hands gliding over the sleekness of the red and black leather ensemble she wore. Hands reached out to her dark hair that traveled in waves down her back. She felt her space being invaded and, as much as hated to admit it, Gale grounded her. He was silent, stiff in his suit as he held onto her arm and navigated their way around the crowd.

He was at least one thing she was familiar with even if they weren’t exactly on amicable terms.

“Cozy, isn’t it?” Peeta appeared to their right, his mouth in a lopsided smirk. He was dressed a little less flashily than most of the crowd, but he was still dressed to impress and displaying all his usual charm and ease that the Capitol seemed to expect and love. It was his act, his camera-ready self. One that, unlike her performance, was completely fucking believable. It was mesmerizing, he was beautiful and it left Katniss a little breathless. Until she spotted a young woman trying to gain his attention as he popped a morsel into his mouth.

Katniss stared at them for a moment before turning her head and rolling her eyes, cursing under her breath. Peeta led the woman out for a dance and Katniss tightened her grip on Gale’s arm, which he leaned into.

“Something else,” he simply said.

Katniss didn’t bother to respond.

Plutarch Heavensbee, the new Head Gamemaker, made his approach a little later for a dance. If that didn’t make her uncomfortable enough, Snow toasted her and Gale’s engagement.

The President’s gaze reached her from the across the room. His words were icy and it sent a chill down her spine.

Fuck.

***

The train ride back to District 12 was uneventful. It was relatively quiet as everyone recharged after the tour.

The nightmares were relentless though.

One particular evening Katniss had dreamt about pulling back her bow and sending an arrow straight into the chest of Foxface before being brought into Gale’s arms for a kiss. He had pressed her flush against him harshly, his lips tasting like bitter poison. When she pulled away, her lips swollen and nearly bruised, she saw Prim off in the distance near the Cornucopia with Snow beside her, laughing manically.

White rose petals lifted from the ground and multiplied by the thousands as they fluttered into the sky to meet dark stormy clouds rolling in.

She woke up screaming and thrashing, feeling warm arms wrap around her as soothing words were breathed near her ear. It took her a moment to realize that it was Peeta. He placed a chaste kiss on the top of her head as she settled down.

It was her first contact real contact with him in months.

After she regained her senses a bit, he started to move away but she grabbed him by the wrist, her heart still beating wildly.

“Please. Don’t go. Stay,” she squeaked out in a near whimper.

He stood there for a moment completely rigid, before nodding with a sigh and lowering himself into the chair by her bed. Relieved, she rolled over on her side to face him, her hand resting on top of his. Her fingers stroked the fine hairs there.

“Why haven’t you been talking to me?” she blurted, still intoxicated by the warmth that his arms offered just moments before.

“Katniss,” he breathed a little shakily. It was almost a warning, as if to say don’t go there. He swallowed hard and ran a hand through his unruly blonde hair. “It’s… everything’s…”

He was normally so articulate.

“Shhh. It’s okay. We don’t have to talk now,” she offered, tugging on his hand. “Lay with me.”

“I shouldn’t…” he began, hesitation clearly in his voice.

He eventually made it into her bed and they both discovered that they rested better when they were close. The nightmares would still come, but they weren’t as intense and they were easier to shake when they had a solid person to bring them back to reality. The last couple days of the trip after everyone had retired for the evening, he would make his way to Katniss’s room. They never talked, not really, but the sound of his heartbeat under her ear was enough to ground her as he threaded his fingers through her hair.

He did keep Snow away.

The warmth in her stomach returned.

He was always gone by morning though.

***

The Quarter Quell would be pulling from the existing pool of victors. Any chance of distancing herself and the predicament with Gale went out the window. Snow was hell-bent on breaking her. The marriage announcement meant nothing.

Katniss had a tear streak down her cheek when Effie called her name.

Next came Gale’s.

Effie immediately looked back and forth between the two, her bottom lip quivering a bit.

“I volunteer as tribute,” Peeta shouted, his voice clear and strong.

That was unexpected.

Gale tried to blocked him but Peeta glowered at him with a stern, “Move.” He didn’t wait for Gale to react. He pushed roughly past him and took his position on the stage.

Katniss was left gaping.

Why would he do this?

Gale wasn’t too happy with it either. On the train to the Capitol, he expressed just as much.

“Wasn’t the plan for me and Katniss to try and pacify Snow? To be together? To get married?” he reasoned. She knew that Gale secretly liked the disruption in the districts. They were fighting back. And, she could see that he took pleasure in knowing that he could have had some part of that.

Haymitch stretched and pulled up a bottle. “Yes. Well…”

The elder mentor glanced over to Peeta, who was reclining in the chair with the back of his hand over his mouth. All eyes were on him and he simply shrugged.

“That’s exactly why I volunteered,” he offered curtly before rising and stepping out the room.

“I don’t get it,” Gale threw up his hands and scoffed.

Effie sauntered by them and hummed. “Yes, well. The Quarter Quell is going to be unlike anything before. I hear that there will be a new training center and Snow is sparing no expense.”

Of course he isn’t, Katniss thought to herself.

“The show must go on…” she whispered to herself as she watched the world outside the window blur by.

***

Caesar Flickerman raised his hand to calm the crowd. “So, wait a minute, you’re telling me you volunteered because our star-crossed lovers already got married?”

Peeta was poised, charismatic and dressed in a tailored suit that complemented his pale skin tone and strong, stocky build. Everyone there was at the edge of their seats.

“Yes. They didn’t want to slight anyone but they also wanted to make their love eternal so they had a lovely private ceremony. We call it a toasting in our district. Anyway, we’ve all grown very close. I’m not just their former mentor, I’m their friend, a brother. We’re all so close in age. That’s why I volunteered, Caesar. To make sure Katniss makes it home to Gale. Only now…,” Peeta uncharacteristically stumbled over his words then, drawing the audience in.

“Yes?”

“Only now… now there’s a baby too,” Peeta said.

People gasped and Katniss stood terrified on stage with the other victors. The crowd grew unruly, causing Caesar to dim the lights.

Later in their rooms, Haymitch slapped Peeta on the back and whistled. “That, Peeta, was a stroke of genius. Genius! Haha!”

The other victors had also delivered lines that outright showed their discontent with the Quell, including career tribute veterans and Finnick O’Dair and Johanna Mason. But, Peeta’s bold move set the building on fire.

Gale snorted. “Did you have that up your sleeve the entire time?”

“Did it work?” Peeta simply asked, ignoring the question.

Haymitch shook his head in the negative.

“Unfortunately, no. The games are still on but you certainly had them talking.”

Gale scoffed.

“Talking, yes. That I would let my mentor take my place while my wife is pregnant,” Gale sneered, glaring at Peeta. “How does that make any sense?”

“It makes perfect sense…” Peeta snapped back, “…because I would sacrifice myself so you could have your happily ever after.”

Emotions were high and Gale shoved him. Peeta stumbled a bit before lunging forward and pushing Gale back. Haymitch got in the middle of it, his hair obscuring his face.

“Hey, hey, hey! Cool it hotheads. This isn’t going to solve anything. Remember who the real enemy is.”

"Oh my word," Effie's voice came through, clearly beside herself.

The two men, clearly still fuming, glared at each other for a heated moment before Gale stalked away. Peeta went the other direction.

***

Katniss retired early that evening. They had the task of deciding on who they wanted to partner with in the arena and she just couldn’t wrap her head around any decisions anymore. Tomorrow was her next trip in the arena, this time with Peeta, and all she could think about was him, was Prim, and whether or not they were going to die.

Her mind was cycling through all those negative thoughts when Peeta silently entered her room around midnight. She turned to face him and he just stood there, looking completely torn apart and opened his arms, his eyes pleading. Immediately, she fell in to his embrace, allowing herself to become lost in it.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered into her hair.

“Why… why did…” she managed, burying her face into him.

“Katniss,” he ran his hand down her back, voice filled with a sigh. Pain flooded his face as she pulled away abruptly, tears blearing her vision.

“What the hell Peeta,” Katniss cried out.

His charisma, gone. His act, gone. What was left was Peeta the baker’s boy from District 12, who claimed young love during his games. The veil, the façade had lifted away completely. He looked completely and utterly ruined.

Katniss continued, trembling. “You don’t talk to me for months. You design my marriage. Then you comfort me at night. Then you volunteer and now I’m supposedly pregnant? What was all this for anyway? We’re right where we didn’t want to be! We’re going back in and…” she was crying at this point, her mouth contorted.

“I’m sorry, Katniss. I really am.”

“You said you didn’t want to be a piece in his games and you made us all into a perfectly packaged set!”

“I know. I know. But I had to try. If there was any chance that we could stop this…”

“But we didn’t, did we?”

Peeta carefully walked towards her and pulled her back in, resting her head against his chest. “I’m sorry,” he breathed heartbreakingly, kissing her hairline. “Please forgive me.”

There was silence for a moment. Katniss felt herself shudder but slowly calmed, thanks to the steady sound of his beating heart. His subtle scent tenderly enveloped her. Her fingers made their way up and idly danced over the buttons of his shirt. She found his voice rumble through him when he spoke, “At least I can give you something.”

“What?”

“A life. You have Prim, your mom. You win this thing and you can make it home. I’ll make sure of that.”

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

“You have a family…”

Peeta cradled Katniss’s face in his hands and looked at her earnestly.

“No, not like you. You could be happy, with Gale…”

“But…”

“Katniss, listen. I’m in this to get you out."

"But nobody ever really makes it out!"

"Nobody needs me.”

Her quicksilver eyes shimmered up at him and she couldn’t help herself.

“I do. I need you.”

He was stunned into silence. Before he could flee or react in anyway, Katniss reached her arms up around his neck and lowered him down and molded her mouth over his. It was tentative at first until his lips started to move with hers.

That familiar, sweet warmth crept into her stomach.

For all the kisses she had shared with Gale, none of them compared to this, the real thing.

Even when Peeta pulled back a little, a breath away and foreheads touching tenderly, Katniss found herself only wanting more. She moved herself against him, hungry for more.

“We… we can’t do this,” he said, eyes slammed shut. He was clearly as much affected as she was.

“Why not?”

“It’s too dangerous. Gale…”

“I don’t care. I don’t fucking care about Gale or any of it. For as much of a piece of these games I have been made to feel, please don’t take away this one thing from me.”

He gazed at her adoringly.

“I’ve loved and wanted you forever but Katniss…”

“Damn it Peeta listen to me,” she pulled him close, her lips touching his once more, made even more desperate because of his confession. “I want my first time, probably my only time, to mean something.”

And that was all it took for Peeta to lose all self-control that he had mastered. He scooped Katniss up and carried her over to the bed, their kisses becoming more heated and passionate as they tore at each other’s clothes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I do not own the Hunger Games nor any of its characters. This is purely fan-fiction.
> 
> It's a bit rough in parts and my editing skills are bit poor given that I read over this a number of times. My brain autocorrects all the mistakes and gaps. 
> 
> Please feel free share your appreciation by leaving a kudos, a comment (they make my day!) and any constructive feedback you might have. :)
> 
> I also know that this short fanfic covers a lot of ground. So, I'm open to prompts that explores sections a bit more deeply. How and when did Katniss discover that she was pregnant and how did she react? A sweet glimpse into family life for the Mellarks in 12. Simply share an idea in the comments section here and I may tack on additional "in depth scenes" bonus chapters to this fic. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy the conclusion of the story, though. :) Thanks for reading!

“I hope you know what you’re doing.”

As Peeta descended the stairs in the early morning hours, he caught an image of himself on pause on a television screen. Haymitch leaned forward from his seated position on the couch and glanced over his shoulder at him. 

“Excuse me?”

“The girl.” The elder mentor pointed to the screen. 

The freeze frame shimmered a bit. It was during Peeta’s pre-arena stage time with Caesar Flickerman at the 73rd Annual Hunger Games, where he had revealed his crush on a girl back home. He was so much younger then. A little fuller in the face, less muscular. It was amazing how two years and being scared shitless really matured someone. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Bull. I know you kid. You have a way with words, true. But I know you.”

Peeta strode over towards the other man with a stern look, any happiness that he had experienced just before completely eroded by the reality of their situation.

“Just make sure she gets out, okay?" 

And, with that, he was done with the conversation. As he walked away, Gale started to stir and emerge. 

“It’s going be an interesting day,” Haymitch muttered with a cynical chuckle. 

***

“She’s a mutt, a mutt!” 

Katniss stood back and watched Peeta from the safety of another room through a window. He struggled to break free from the ties of the bed, his face sunken in and twisted in anger. Tears streamed down her cheeks as a hand raised and clutched close to her heart. 

What had happened to the boy with the bread, she mourned internally? Her light and hope during her darkest times? 

Tracker jacker venom, the doctors had said.

Prim leaned in close and hugged her sister. 

Katniss’s mind traveled back in time to the Quell. They had made allies with Beetee, Finnick and Johanna. And it was a mess. Katniss was overwhelmed by playing the game and the want to keep Peeta safe. On a whim, she had shot an arrow straight into the sky towards the force field just as lightning hit the tree, completely obliterating the arena. 

She would later find herself being escorted to the mythical District 13 and discovered that Plutarch, her Quell allies, and Haymitch were all in on the rebellion. They had been riding on the act of defiance in her games as a launching point to set the war against the Capitol in motion. When they asked her to be their Mockingjay, she had refused. When they told her that it was what Peeta would have wanted, her heart broke. 

He had been in on it too. 

But she couldn’t help but think of him. Be angry at him. Love him. He had loved her too... for forever, he had said. She was that dumb girl. And, he had been left behind in the mayhem that her arrow had caused and being apart was painful. 

But it wasn’t as painful as seeing him like this. 

“They are hopeful Katniss that, with enough treatment and therapy, that he’ll turn around.”

She knew that Prim was being optimistic. She was being supportive, offering words that she thought her sister wanted to hear. And, as much as Katniss wanted it to be true, she just wasn’t as hopeful. The man she loved had been hijacked. 

“Once he sees Willow, too, that’ll help.”

Katniss gave a sideways glance to her sister and resisted the urge to snap. 

She had no desire to have her baby brought down here. Peeta was in no state to know that he was a father. Of course, President Coin wanted to play up the angle that the pregnant Katniss Everdeen made it home to her husband, Gale Hawthorne. It would aid in their cause, stoke the flames. Gale knew the truth, but said nothing. Haymitch knew the truth, but said nothing. Prim knew the truth and had managed the secret relatively well.

“I think… I think he just needs to rest right now.” Katniss turned, still hearing Peeta’s shouts from beyond. 

She felt her entire world dissolve away, piece by piece, with every step she took towards her hospital room.

***

Johanna laughed at her. 

“We knew each other’s screams really well.”

Katniss repositioned herself in her bed, rolling away from the other woman. Her body was sore and her heart still heavy from everything that had unfolded. Willow had been born just as Peeta was brought in. Gale had surprisingly volunteered to be a part of that extraction team. Katniss's body had reacted to all the stress and sent her into preterm labor. Their daughter was spending some serious time with some of the best doctors of the district, completely dedicated in ensuring her survival. After all they had lost, they wanted the brightest light to further the story of their precious Mockingjay.

It was the only part of the angle that Katniss willingly took. 

But she didn’t want to hear any of Johanna’s stories right now. 

“He once said that it was the force field.”

The pillow was bunched under Katniss’s head, her eyes wide.

Johanna continued, “…when you sobbed over him, over Peeta, that Snow knew. He put it all together, Mockingjay.”

Tears filled her eyes. 

***

“They say you loved me.”

“That’s why they say he tortured you. To get back at me.” Katniss whispered, feet away from the man that once held her close. His eyes were empty looking back at her, completely void of any affection that they once held. 

She couldn’t help but torture herself. She thought about the night that he had made love to her. The first time was sloppy, frenzied, a little uncomfortable (as least for her, since it was her first experience) and over within seconds. They were careless. The second time, he had worn protection and they took their time. She imagined the way he moved over her, inside her. How tenderly he held her. His hot, wet kisses. The moment of their release and how intense she felt, physically and emotionally. How his fingers danced over her naked flesh afterwards, enchanted by her. How she marveled over his eyelashes when he slept. 

Peeta’s head shaking wildly brought her back to reality. 

“No, no. Not like that. That child. It’s Gale’s. Everyone says so.”

“Peeta…”

“You’re a mutt! A mutt! Mutt!”

She dashed out of the room and crumbled into a crying heap in the hall. 

***

When she was fit enough, Katniss decided to go out and kill Snow herself. 

The plan was set in was set in motion the day of Finnick and Annie’s wedding though, truthfully, she had been toying with the idea for quite some time. She was hemorrhaging with emotion, torn apart by the events that had unfolded. If starving in 12 hadn’t been enough, it had been bombed practically off the map during the Quarter Quell. There was nothing left of her home. Her innocence had been stripped away by being forced to kill in the arena, she had to act in front of Panem, and then Snow had taken away the man that tried to help her navigate through the impossible.

Remnants of him, of his light, existed in Willow. 

But Peeta was gone. Gone, forever. 

She felt confident that Prim and even her mother would look after their daughter. Willow had brought her light to them both. And it was a light that Katniss desperately wanted to protect. 

***

She sought passage to the other districts in secret but was not surprised when President Coin intercepted her plan with the arrival of Boggs and his unit. And Finnick and Gale. And the propo team. They wanted coverage of her as the Mockingjay and Coin wasn’t about to miss an opportunity. 

Peeta later joined them. 

Katniss recoiled. Coin obviously wanted her dead. 

“I’ll kill him if you want me to,” said Gale simply. She believed that he would. It was clear that he still held feelings for her, but it was beyond that now. He was truly afraid of Peeta and, despite everything, felt remorse for their former mentor. 

“If I need to, I’ll put an arrow through him myself.” Was all she said and that was the end of that conversation. 

The man she loved proved to be unstable, though, even if he was cuffed and monitored by the collective team. He would shake in fits and scream. But he also had moments of lucidity too. It was from these bits, that the real or not real game was born. Even Gale participated.

“My memories, sometimes I can tell what’s real. I can sort them, a little. The ones that are… are a little glossy, they’re not,” Peeta managed, blinking fast. He still looked so sickly, a shadow of the man he once was.

“Your favorite color is orange, like a sunset,” Katniss whispered to him and watched his response. Recognition flashed across his features. He was absorbing the information but he was still so far-away. Tears welled in her eyes and she couldn’t. Immediately standing, she put as much distance between her and the group as possible. 

***

Death. That was the ultimate overarching theme. 

The mutts were after them in the tunnel systems below the Capitol and Finnick had met his fate. Their team had been reduced dramatically during their journey. They died following her into the lair of the beast and she felt at fault. 

Peeta’s footing fumbled behind her as they scrambled away from the immediate threat. Katniss whipped around to help him but he raised his hand, clearly defeated. 

“Go, Katniss. I’m done,” he shouted and Katniss shook her head.

“No! Come on!”

“Please…” he pleaded but she stooped down in front of his crouching form and planted a desperate kiss on his lips. When she pulled back, she saw a glimmer of something in his blue eyes. 

“Stay with me,” she begged. 

“Always.”

***

Prim was dead. 

Coin was dead.

The world was dead. 

The siege of the Capitol had come to a dramatic conclusion to its bombing as well. Prim was caught in the melee and Katniss had suffered extreme burns trying to get to her. It was a futile effort. When Coin proposed retribution in the form of another series of Hunger Games involving people from the Capitol, Katniss knew that the cycle would continue. 

The cycle of hate. Of death. Darkness overcoming light. 

And she didn’t want Willow to experience any of what she had. 

So, with her aim true, she shot another arrow not at Snow, but into Coin. Mayhem ensued afterwards, but after a little time things started to calm and take shape. 

Her and Haymitch went back to what was left of District 12. Willow had been released from the neonatal unit and joined her mother, completely healthy and vibrant, with innocent blue eyes and a head of dark hair. It would be eyes that would never witness another games, Katniss vowed. 

After a day of hiking near the woods, Katniss returned to the village to see Peeta planting primroses near their houses. She froze and he raised slowly to meet her eyes. Willow cooed from her position in the sling that held her secure, nestled close to her mother. 

“You’re here,” she whispered getting a little choked up and he simply nodded. 

“Yeah,” he glanced down at the flowers, his gloved hands dirty. “I saw these by the woods and thought…”

She closed the distance between them relatively quickly and pulled him into a hug. “I’m sorry Katniss.”

She breathed in his scent as he hugged her back, the baby between them wiggling and making sweet noises. Peeta, misty-eyed, “…she’s… she’s mine. Real or not real?”

“Real,” Katniss exclaimed, kissing him tenderly with salty tears on her lips.

Healing would take time, but it came and, with it, love affirmations and another child. A boy this time, with Peeta’s unruly, wavy blonde hair and Katniss’s silver eyes. They named him Rye. 

People slowly trickled in, breathing life back into 12. Sometimes the games were mentioned, but for the most part everyone was focused on the future. Rebuilding. 

And sometimes Peeta and Katniss would get a strange glance from those that didn’t understand their story. Where was Gale, she had been asked a number of times. 

He was in District 2, feeding the fire that was in his spirit. Engaged to Johanna, who had fire in hers too. But their fires were compatible. 

Katniss always needed the warmth, the light, and the hope that Peeta always offered. He had told her that his intent was always to get her out. That he wasn’t a part of the rebellion, not really. That his love for her created all his choices, even if they had hurt him deeply. 

He still had days where he would clutch the back of a chair and ride out an episode. As the years passed, though, those incidents decreased. And, she would have nightmares about Prim, but his arms would always be there to guide her back. 

They always had each other. They were stronger together and, in that, they found themselves. They found a brighter future for their children, one where there weren’t any games. Their suffering had effectively ended the cycle.


	4. BONUS: Deleted/Expanded Scene

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> BONUS SCENE!
> 
> This takes place in chapter 3, a few weeks in at District 13.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this extra peek into this AU story!

If she had to eat this one more day, Katniss swore she would be heaving for a week. The thought itself left her half-laughing internally, the irony not lost on her. In District 12, prior to the games and its cataclysmic bombing, she fought for sustenance through illegal hunting excursions. She had also placed her name in the lottery so many times for meager helpings of tesserae to feed her family. Even after all that, she was still a starving, scrawny thing. 

There was at least food here in District 13. Sure, it wasn’t as rich and bountiful as the Capitol’s, but she felt she may have preferred it over that if her stomach wasn’t so twisted in knots. 

“You look a little gray,” came Gale’s voice, tugging at her attention. She didn’t look up at him, though. She just continued to pick at her mush soup with her spoon. 

“You should try to eat something,” he said while he chewed. 

Why was he fucking chewing so loudly? The smell radiating from the bowl made her stomach lurch even more and she felt a gag reach up into her throat. She immediately pushed away the offensive item and reached for her bread roll. 

“Not good?” he asked. 

Katniss breathed heavily and pulled off a chunk of bread, inserted it in her mouth and chewed it slowly. 

“You’re thinking about him aren’t you?” he continued. 

“And if I am?” she snapped back finally, unable to meet his eyes. 

“Do you love him?” Gale choked out, his eyes studying her intently. She dared to look up and immediately wish she hadn’t.

“Come on, Gale. He was left behind. Doesn’t that make you feel guilty in some way?” she spat back in her best whisper. 

The man across the table from her only shook his head and clenched his jaw. She could tell he was measuring his words and, when they finally came, they were low and pained.

“Maybe, but your pouting is…”

A murmur came over the mess hall as the television screen in the center came to life. Everyone immediately looked up to see Caesar Flickerman on the screen, reclining in a chair. 

“Good evening, Panem,” he spoke, looking directly into the camera. “Whoever you are, whatever it is you’re doing, if you are working, put your work down. If you are eating, stop eating. Because, you are going to want to watch this. There has been rampant speculation about what really happened in the Quarter Quell…”

Katniss glanced around uncomfortably as the murmurs continued around her and Gale.

“We have a very special guest tonight that will help shed some light on those events. I give you, Peeta Mellark,” he stated and Katniss’s stomach immediately dropped. 

As Caesar continued to speak and address Peeta, Katniss slowly made her way to her feet and moved closer towards the screen. 

He... he was alive. Peeta was alive. 

He was fucking alive. 

There, in front of her. On the screen. Dressed sharply in a white suit. Looking healthy, blonde hair perfectly styled. Not a single detail was out of place. 

Tears stung her eyes and she wrapped her arms around her body. 

Weeks. She had been worried for weeks, fighting with Heavensbee and Coin about not rescuing Peeta. Throwing fits at Haymitch. Being a royal pain in the ass. Not wanting to eat. Feeling sick. Finding the only semblance of comfort during his absence through the small pearl he had given her during the Quell. “In case you have a daughter,” he had said, “…tell her this was from Uncle Peeta.” His eyes had lingered on hers, speaking things that they couldn’t necessarily vocalize. The act was meant for the games, but the look was intended only for her. Their fingers had touched during the transfer of the pearl and lingered briefly. It was a touch that Katniss still dreamt about.

She was scared about losing him there, in that wretched arena. And her fear had become reality.

But, here he was, giving her hope again. 

“…the games cost everything,” Peeta was saying, perfectly poised as he continued his interview with Caesar. Even during all of this, his presence still left her amazed and breathless. She was lost for a moment, not really focusing on his words. She wanted to reach out and touch his face on the screen. 

The beginnings of unrest in the mess hall brought her back abruptly to the present, though.

“I want everyone who’s watching to stop, to think about what they are doing. What would a civil war really mean? Is this what we really want to do? Kill each other off? Everyone should lay down their weapons immediately…” he pled into the camera. People started to started to shout “traitor” over and over again. 

“Traitor.”

“Traitor!”

The words warped all around her, causing the room to wave and spin.

Everything went black. 

The next thing Katniss knew were the sounds of machines beeping. As she opened her bleary eyes, it took a moment for things to come into focus. 

“Where… where am…” she started to croak, but she was soothed by the hushing voice of someone close by. 

“You gave us quite the scare Ms. Everdeen… or should I say, Mrs. Hawthorne.” 

Katniss’s head was pounding. Mrs. Hawthorne? What was…

“Don’t worry, your husband is right here.”

“Hey Catnip,” Gale’s voice came from her other side. She turned her head slightly and his face slowly came into view. 

“Gale,” she breathed, licking her chapped lips, totally disoriented. “What happened? Where am I?”

“You blacked out. In the mess hall,” he responded softly. He seemed a little distracted but Katniss didn’t really register it. She was still trying to collect her own thoughts and find her bearings.

Peeta. 

His image was branded in her mind.

She wanted to bolt upright, but a hand pushed her back down gently. The doctor waggled a finger at her and smiled a little crookedly. “Now, now. We need to take it slow. You just woke up and it will take some time to recuperate. You need to rest.”

“I’m not some broken child,” she snapped nastily, raising a hand to her forehead. Her head was throbbing and her stomach twisting, but she wasn’t going to readily admit it. She needed to find Heavensbee and Coin and raise hell. If they wanted her to really be their Mockingjay, then they needed to commit in getting Peeta out of there. 

That was going to be the deal. 

“I know, but your child… your unborn child needs his or her mom to rest,” the doctor chided, examining the vitals that displayed on the screen. 

Ah, for fuck’s sake. The baby charade. Can’t they tell that she’s not even fucking pregnant? She saw Gale tense up beside her. She followed his gaze towards the monitor. 

“What’s that?” she asked with a squint. 

It was nothing but black, white and gray blotchy shapes. Gale cleared his throat and the doctor just smirked. “I’ve never heard a mother refer to her child as a that before. But, then again, we’ve had some troubles in 13. Be that as it may, be rest assured that your little one is just fine even after our little scare earlier. Though…” the doctor adjusted the glasses over the bridge of his nose as he eyed the screen and readings. “…yes, we’re going to have to change your EDD I think. I don’t think you were as far along as you thought you were during the Quell…”

She was shocked into silence. 

“I guess the Capitol has technology that can detect super early. Anyway. Make sure your wife eats, Mr. Hawthorne. You are her husband and the child’s father. I know it’s been the adjustment but, well, you know. Anyway, we'll want to start scheduling prenatal exams. Take it easy for now," the doctor said before shuffling away, leaving behind a gaping Katniss. 

What the fuck? 

What the actual fuck? 

She was pregnant? Her and Peeta… they only shared one night. How…

She couldn’t bear to look over at Gale. She could sense his presence but he wasn’t moving.

A few moments of tense silence passed before…

“I fucking knew it. How long?” his voice dangerously was low and he spoke through gritted teeth. “I knew he went to your room at night, on the train. Haymitch waved it off, but he fucking knew. Our illustrious mentor, Peeta fucking Mellark, was fucking you over and over and over. How long? How long has he been fucking you?”

“Gale…”

“It all makes so much sense. I fucking knew it!” his enraged gaze focused on the screen, his blood thumping in rhythm with the baby’s heartbeat. “I wanted to marry you, Katniss. I loved you. And now...”

Her hand secretly found the pearl that had been in her pocket. She rolled in between her fingers under the cover of the blankets, closing her eyes. She tried to will away this moment but Gale’s curses wouldn’t allow her.

“You really fucked things up, Katniss.”

Groaning, Gale rose up and stormed away. 

Katniss knew she should have been thinking about what comes next. She was pregnant. People are going to automatically assume that the pregnancy had been as Peeta said it was, that her and Gale were married and expecting. From the outside perspective, they weren’t missing a beat.

But her heart was missing beats. 

She was trapped. Gale was trapped.

And Peeta was a prisoner.

She brought in the pearl a little closer and cried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...and obviously they would have examined her after the Quell to ensure she and baby were fine. And they were. She just didn't realize that when they said "all is well" -- that it meant baby too. ;)


	5. BONUS: Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a sneak peek into the Mellark's lives after everything. There's even Daddy Peeta moments! Enjoy.

“Like this, daddy?”

The girl with thick, wavy raven-colored hair beamed from her perch on the countertop, her legs dangling off the side and her cerulean eyes bright. She had just squeezed some of the icing from the decorating bag in her hands onto a series of cookies. She looked over to the man standing next to her, earnestly seeking praise and approval. His smile towards her was warm and wide, his eyes showing just how very proud he was.

“Oh wow! Yes, yes. That’s perfect. You’re a natural, Willow!”

He ran his flour-coated forearm along his forehead, pushing back the waves of golden hair that threatened to spill over his brow. She gleamed happily, tossing dark tendrils over her shoulders.

“I think I put toooooo much on that one, though,” she giggled, pointing.

“Nah. There’s never such a thing as too much frosting. And, these are for mommy. I’m sure she’s gonna love’em!”

He quickly touched the tip of her nose, leaving behind a white smudge. She crinkled her face and tapped his arm. “Stop it daddy! We’re getting ready to open soon!”

The pair laughed together.

Katniss’s breath hitched at the sight of them. It wasn’t an uncommon thing, though, watching Peeta interact with their daughter. The pair would often decorate some of the cakes and cookies together in the bakery, and Willow caught on quick. She was almost nine and was starting to get taller, but she was definitely a daddy’s girl. She would follow him around the house, help him make cheese buns, and even did an assignment on him at the school, explaining why he was her hero. Each student from ages seven to eleven had to choose a historical figure to write about and learn from, and what they admired about them. It was mainly a social studies challenge to help children get acquainted with history; it wasn’t meant to be in depth. Schools were still in a state of reforming, but it was definitely a project that little Willow poured her heart into.

_“He isn’t just a guy from The Hunger Games. Yes, he won the 73rd games but he’s so much more. He shows me how to make cakes. He makes great food. He makes me laugh. He draws with me. He shows me how to mix paint. We even like the same color… soft orange. He takes care of me, mommy, and Rye. Rye, that’s my little brother. He’s too young to go to school yet…”_

The paper had left Katniss in tears. She had found it sitting in Willow’s room, scribbled on parchment and sitting on top of sketchpads she would draw in. Their daughter didn’t really understand what The Hunger Games were, not fully, but had been exposed to some details and was starting to ask a lot more questions. She would often get frustrated by the attention her parents would get, confused by it. To her, they were just her mom and dad. And, that’s why she wanted to write. She wanted others to know they were special beyond the games. It was a heavy concept for a child, but she got tired of the games association, even if it was an event that didn’t carry much weight to her at this age.

She was artistic and creative, and had a talent in expressing herself through words, baking and drawing already. And, her parents were her world.

She never knew a life that involved the games.

It was hard to believe that she had been conceived the night prior to the Quarter Quell. The last ‘game’ that would set the world on fire. A night where both of her parents were frantic and desperate to be in each other’s arms, fearful of an impending death.

Katniss had contemplated aborting initially, when she discovered her pregnancy in 13, but couldn’t… with the public eyes on her. With Peeta captured. It was like she would have let go of a light that he left her with. Even though she never wanted kids, something clicked and… it was hard to explain. Even more, with Prim gone, she felt she saw a little of her sister in her child, too.

The sound of the bakery’s doorbell pulled Katniss from her trance. From her position in the back room, Katniss could see a little of the customer-facing end of the store, but didn’t see the patrons as they made their way in. Peeta rounded around the corner of the countertop after lifting and setting his daughter to the floor. Willow followed him to greet the customers.

“We just HAD to see this bakery for ourselves,” came an accented and nasally feminine voice.

Katniss shifted on her seat, pulling the soft, warm baby closer to her chest. Rye was close to six-months old and had just fell asleep after breastfeeding.

“Let us know if you’d like to see anything,” came Willow’s voice, full of confidence. Katniss grinned to herself.

“Oh, we’re not hungry dear. We’re just here to see Peeta. I can’t believe we’re really here! I can’t believe you have your own bakery! Wow, can I get a picture with you?” That was another female voice, higher in pitch but with the same accent.

It wasn’t uncommon for them to have tourists. Not that Katniss could ever fathom why anyone would want to willingly travel to what used to be District 12, but there was an influx of people coming through, looking for Peeta, or Haymitch, or even herself and Gale. Recreational travel was a luxury that was just starting to establish itself, and it was a concept that was foreign to her; except for her time during the games. The concept was repulsive to her actually. It seemed a little callous. Her district held so many painful memories, and ashes of those who were seemingly long forgotten. But people did it for the sake of rebuilding the nation; to connect in ways they weren't able to necessarily before.

Peeta seemed to have a draw of young star struck females, though. They almost always seemed to have a desire to fill the role of girlfriend since the official story that reached the public was that his crush back at home hadn’t reciprocated his feelings for whatever reason. Next to Finnick, he was pretty popular.

“Why do you want a picture of my daddy?”

“Your… your daddy?”

There was obvious confusion in those words. Katniss couldn’t help but smirk from her current position, their son sleeping soundly against her. Hearing the surprise always made her laugh a little internally.

“It’s okay, Willow,” came Peeta’s smooth, diplomatic voice, chuckling a little along with the words. “Sure, I’d be happy to take a photo.”

Long gone were the days of Peeta’s Capitol-ready smile, dressed in pristine, crisp clothes and having perfectly styled hair. He was still a charmer, but he was his authentic self. He had the freedom to smile because he was genuinely happy, even during days when he rode through the residual after-effects of the hijacking. Instead of facial creams and make-up, a swipe of flour would grace his face. Instead of roses, he smelt like cinnamon and dill. He dressed in clothes that were comfortable for the bakery, but still highlighted his broad shoulders, narrow waist and everything Katniss swooned over. He was good-natured towards tourists, but that was only because he was proud of the life he now lived.

He didn’t need to act or construct stories to survive or to protect anyone.

“Do you want a picture with mommy too then?”

“It’s okay,” came the first woman’s voice, clearly satisfied with getting a snapshot with Peeta. “I just… can’t believe you were in the games. And you… And now I’m here and…”

“But mommy was in the games, too,” Willow chirped.

“She was in the games too?” Again, confusion.

“Well, yeah. Katniss… Katniss Mellark.”

Like it was obvious.

There was a silence and Rye began to stir a little. Katniss took this opportunity to carefully stand and walk over to doorway from the backroom, her vision catching the two flashily dressed females. Willow’s back was towards her but she caught the eyes of the two guests. They seemed genuinely shocked, their mouths forming an “o.” Peeta just chuckled and pulled Willow towards him.

“I… I thought you married Gale? And, I thought…” the woman asked, her eyes settling on the eight-year-old. They were doing the math. Peeta rotated slightly and smiled softly to his wife. Katniss just shook her head lightly.

This wasn’t the first time they encountered this line of questioning either. Their status often shocked and bewildered tourists.

Willow grunted and forcibly folded her arms over her chest with a huff. “Gale?!?” She was getting upset and Peeta could sense it. He quickly stooped down and gathered his daughter in his arms. She buried her face in the crook of his neck and he murmured something to her.

“Thanks… thanks for the picture.” They clearly didn’t know what to say, their enthusiasm quelled by the revelation before them, an illusion shattered.

“You’re quite welcome,” Peeta said with a small smile, rubbing his daughter’s back slightly.

When the door closed with their exiting guests, he turned around and once again looked to Katniss. Willow squirmed in his arms and pushed back a little, her small hands on her father’s collarbone, and glanced between her parents.

“Why would they said you married Gale, mommy? What about daddy?”

“It was a story. A part of the games. It wasn’t real,” came Peeta’s calming voice.

“No one would believe that story because… because it’s not true.”

Little did she know.

It was hard to navigate these waters, especially since Willow was still too young to comprehend. There were still many, many things she did not know.

“Hey, what do you think about decorating the cake next? It’s cool enough now...,” he said, excitement in his voice.

She pouted in response before something flashed in her blue eyes. Blue eyes that matched his.

“Can I do the flowers? Please? PLEASE?”

He just laughed and nodded his head. “Absolutely.”

Willow squealed, freed herself with her dark hair bouncing, and started towards the counter to fetch decorating supplies. He walked towards Katniss with a tenderness in his expression. He reached out and stroked the back of Rye’s head softly, before raising his hand to cup his wife’s cheek.

“Hey, you okay?” he asked softly, his eyes studying hers.

Katniss only nodded, mesmerized by the man in front of her. The Baker’s Boy. The Victor. The Mentor. Now he was filling his most important roles ever… as bakery owner, husband and father.

“I was going hunt a little today but… I think I just want to hang around here, with you and Willow.” While her excursions produced some nice berries for baked goods, sometimes the woods brought too many memories.

“Of course,” he replied gently, his expression showing just how much he understood.

The door to the bakery chimed again and, this time, Willow shouted. “Uncle Haymitch! I’m going to help with the flowers on the cake, today!”

“I can’t wait to see it, kid,” he grinned to her, rubbing her head with his hand.

She reached up in protest. “Hey, my hair!”

Haymitch just grinned and looked up, catching her and Peeta’s eyes.

They all had lost so much but, seeing everyone here at this very moment, Katniss knew that they had each other. They were each other’s family. She missed Prim so much. Finnick. Rue. She mourned for all the people that were no longer with them. At times, she felt guilty for being alive when they weren’t.

But, she couldn’t afford to think that way too much. And, in a way, that made her feel selfish. Seeing Willow, and now Rye… She couldn’t descend into darkness, like her mother did when her dad died. Her children turned to her with such innocence. Innocence that she was able to help them keep. They looked to her and, even if they didn’t know it, she looked to them, and every other child that would come bouncing into the bakery – where their deepest concerns were grabbing a sweet treat instead of being reaped.

They were the next generation.

The dandelions. The light.

The hope that tomorrow would be different. That they would have to suffer those type of losses ever again.

“Hey daddy, can I do orange flowers? They are my favorite.”

Peeta kissed Katniss tenderly on the cheek before turning towards their daughter.

“Only if they are not bright orange – let’s make them a softer shade,” he joked and she made of face.

“Well, yeah. Always!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I received a lot of requests about including a bit regarding Peeta’s time in the 73rd games, and what led him to not approach Katniss after he won. That is in the works and this should be updated soon so stayed tuned!
> 
> In the meantime, if you have any other moments you’d like to see, please feel free to request in the comments. :) Thanks again for reading!


	6. Prologue: The 73rd Annual Hunger Games

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What was Peeta's experience in the games? Why did he not talk to Katniss after he won? I hope you enjoy this addition!

When his name was plucked from the bowl by Effie’s hand that humid afternoon, the world seemed to slow down painfully. Peeta stood there for what seemed like ages before his heavy feet carried him in a shock-induced stupor towards the stage. There was only one thing that brought him to the moment and, as his eyes searched the crowd of people, he couldn’t help but hope.

When he finally found her, she wasn’t even looking up at them. She had her head turned, her hair in a braided up-do with small dark wisps blowing in the breeze.

He blinked against light of the sun, following her line of sight that led over to Gale.

A hard lump formed in his throat and something clenched in his chest.

Of course.

After all, they never had really spoken.

But Katniss and Gale? Well, they were always together. Even if Gale had a reputation of seducing girls at the slag heap, Peeta felt that there was more between them. That, if they weren’t together at that point, that it was going to happen eventually. _Of course_ she was going to be elated that the tall dark-haired teenage boy from the Seam was safe this year.

And Peeta? Well, he would only stare after her from afar to make sure she was safe, ready to intervene if he needed to again. And he was a coward. Whenever she would glance over at him, probably feeling the embarrassing intensity of his gaze, he would avert his blue eyes and continue on with the chatter with his large social group.

He was a wrestler and the son of merchants, so company wasn’t hard to find. But, it really didn’t matter to him.

She did.

And, now, he had missed his chance. All those days of watching. If he had only mustered the courage to approach her. She would probably have scowled at him, but at least he would have no regrets going into all of this. If only he could touch the end of her braid, let her know that he was _always_ looking out for her.

If only she knew that he was a goner ever since the first day of school. Two braids, plaid dress, and the Valley Song… it was all it took for his heart. He tried to drown it away by kissing other girls, girls that were interested in him. He never ventured any further than that because they were never her. She had ruined him for anyone else.

The only thought that gave him comfort in that moment was at least she would be safe. She knew how to hunt and Gale, well, he would also take care of her. At least until they grew too old for the reaping.

As he was ushered in to the building to have departing words with friends and family, he tried to steal one more meager, pathetic glance before being thrown into what would be the last days of his life.

***

Peeta felt sick and dazed as soon as he made his way backstage towards the elevators. The roar of the audience was still thumping throughout the building, and it took everything in him to try and not throw up. He didn’t see Leevy until they were deposited onto their floor, where Haymitch was waiting, cackling manically, his Seam-gray eyes brighter than usual.

He almost missed their typical dullness in that moment.

“You all did great,” his aging mentor praised, slapping him on the back and rewarding the dark-haired girl with a smile.

Leevy straightened herself up appearing to be quite proud of what she was able to muster. She had deftly pulled on the heartstrings with her tales of living in poverty in the Seam. The audience was engaged and invested in her life, which was all any tribute could hope for. As Haymitch said, it can very well mean the difference between life or death.

Her openness, while maintaining some distance, seemed to come easily to her.

But what had Peeta done?

He confessed his love for an unnamed girl. Leevy had no clue it was her neighbor and, if she had, what would it have mattered at this point anyway? When Haymitch originally coached him, it took a lot of coaxing to get those juicy details out. After all, who would sympathize or connect with a baker’s boy whose family were merchant class? That would not stand well against Leevy’s story, and might cast him as a villain just by being presented as that foil. And, talking about being a sensitive painter in a family where he felt a little out of synch just wouldn’t do. No one wanted to hear about his mother, either. No, after all the information gathering, Haymitch was convinced it was a good idea to explore the heartbreaking young love angle. He knew that would that it would captivate the masses. “You might just be the next Finnick,” Haymitch had said with a snicker, but then something clouded his eyes and it looked a little like pain or regret.

In hindsight, Peeta still wasn’t keen. It just felt completely and utterly wrong. Why would dredging this stuff really work in his favor anyway?

_“You have a girl back home?” Caesar had asked right after their banter regarding showers and smelling like roses. It was like he was clued in on Haymitch’s off-stage direction or perhaps Haymitch was used to this, having some twenty odd years to cobble things together. Or maybe it was just the way it went. The showman certainly had a way to captivate the audience, though, and effortlessly segue between topics. It made the most of the little time they had to humanize themselves in front of the audience attending in person and watching on television screens across Panem. _

_Peeta laughed a little nervously, but his charm was still on._

_“No, no. Not really.”_

_“What, a handsome boy like you? I don’t believe it for a minute!”_

_“Well… I guess… there’s someone. But, she doesn’t really know I exist. She has a lot of guys that like her so…”_

_“Well, she has to know that you exist now,” Flickerman flashed a wide, white toothy grin and the audience roared in agreement. “Maybe when you get back home, you can talk to her? She wouldn’t be able to resist a victor, am I right folks?” They cheered and whistled as Peeta’s cheeks burned. _

***

Leevy was one of the first ones to perish. It had happened within moments after the countdown at the Cornucopia. The nine that she pulled before being inserted into the arena had made her a target, like Haymitch had predicted, and she didn’t run for the tree line like he advised. Peeta glanced up into the sky as her picture appeared and cursed under his breath. He knew his time was ticking away.

His charisma and way with words allowed him a place with the career pack. There were a few others from other districts that were in the alliance, but he knew that could change at a moment’s notice once they were no longer of use. He wasn’t quite sure why he was asked to be a part of it, but he felt it was because the girl from 2, Olura, was smitten with him. She had watched him hurl weights in the training center and, now, she watched him heft large pieces of wood to construct a boma-like fortification to protect them overnight from wildlife. The stench of shit and rotting carcasses filled the air and served as a reminder of their precarious situation.

“You know, we might not have much time left,” she had said during their watch one evening when the others were sleeping. The fire made her face glow against the inky blackness that contained the sounds of lions and hyenas.

Her hair was dark, too, and it blended into the darkness but her eyes were an unnatural bright blue.

Peeta only laughed nervously and ran his hand through his damp ashy curls.

“I’m flattered but my heart belongs to her.”

“You might not make it back to her though.”

“Well, maybe. But if I do, I know that she’s watching now…”

Olura huffed and moved away from him. A parachute had silently glided down later, providing much needed ointment for his sun scorched skin.

In the end, it came down to him, the boy from 1, Clash, and Olura. The girl from 2 lunged at the other boy carelessly and he slit her throat easily. As her blood pumped onto the dirt, Peeta made a mad dash, tripping over roots jutting out of ground with Clash in pursuit. “Come back here, Lover Boy!” 

He was much taller and leaner than Peeta, and quicker too. He caught up easily and knocked him face first into a pile of rocks, sending the knife from Clash’s hands flying a few feet away.

The arena then seemed to get hotter and, with it, came sounds – rattling sounds.

As Peeta and Clash wrestled on the ground, a surge of serpents descended upon them. They fought through the numerous venomous bites.

The world grew black and Peeta awoke later, restrained in a hospital bed with Haymitch looking worried over him.

“You did it, kid,” was all he had said.

***

“So, Clash succumbed to the venom first and you won, Peeta. You won! How does that make you feel?” Caesar asked with excitement. It was something that the young victor did not share, but he smiled anyway. Panem would expect it, after all.

“It feels good. Now I can go home.”

“To a certain young lady. You plan to talk to her?”

“I do.”

***

There was fanfare as Peeta pulled into the train station at 12.

He had seriously considered talking with her, but she was still hanging around Gale and it didn’t seem right. When they dredged him up for his Victory Tour, he played it coy, saying that she didn’t reciprocate his feelings.

He instantly became a heartthrob. Capitol citizens begged, no clamored for his company and Haymitch warned him that it was only a matter of time before he would be approached by Snow to satisfy them. That was the night that Peeta got drunk for the first time and got into a fist-match with his mentor.

“Why didn’t you tell me about that?” he spat out angrily, breathing heavily, pushing back the waves that spilled over his blue eyes.

Haymitch held his lips tight, a hand on his injured jaw, and scoffed. “I didn’t think you’d make it, kid.”

Those words hurt. Everyone seemed to discount him.

He considered again to declare his love in a moment of weakness. He had seen her in town with her game bag slung over her shoulder and almost approached, but was stopped by the sight of Gale. He had tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and the look in his eyes made Peeta wince.

It... it was just as well. Why would he rope Katniss into this mess anyway? What good would it do any of them anyway, if he had revealed his feelings? He would be rejected and she would be ejected into the spotlight.

So, he waited for the day for Snow to come and, eventually, he did.

“You’re quite popular and the citizens are chomping at the bit. As victor, you’ll have to indulge them. That day will come soon.”

“What happens if I say no?” Peeta asked and Snow’s eyes glowed.

“My dear boy, I think you know the answer to that question. Everything and everyone you hold dear will pay for it.”

He did say no, though, hastily when that day came. And it worried him. But, how much damage could really be done? Who cared for him really? His mom? He cared, but he didn’t want to give in and be yet another piece of the games that continued to dictate his life. And, he waited for the day to come for something bad to happen. Haymitch continued to warn him even as things dragged on without event. As they did, Peeta’s worry dissipated a bit.

Then it happened.

The reaping for the 74th Annual Hunger Games. The afternoon sun was high in the sky. Prim’s name was pulled, and then the name of Gale’s brother.

Of course Katniss and Gale volunteered in their places.

As he stood rigidly on stage, Peeta could feel his palms grow instantly sweaty. An unsettling feeling came over him.

Was this Snow, watching him, tormenting him? Had he figured things out?

Was he the reason that Katniss was now ensnared in this? Her and Gale?! 

Haymitch later approached him on the train when they were on their way to the Capitol and said under hushed tones, “I warned you.”

Shock instantly filled Peeta’s face. How did...

But the older man plunged forward without pause. “Even a blind man could see your pining, kid.” He then collected his drinks and headed into the car holding their tributes, leaving behind a sick Peeta. It took him a moment to compose himself before joining them.


End file.
